As responsible caregivers of a dog, we must comply with the vaccination schedule set by the veterinarian, as this will prevent a large number of serious diseases, especially during the first year of life. Many times we are not sure if a vaccine is really necessary or not, since it depends on the circumstances of each dog and what are the mandatory vaccines in the region in which we live, so we will deal with these doubts throughout the article.
If you live in Spain and have doubts about your dog's vaccination, keep reading this article on our site, in collaboration with Barkibu, a digital he alth company for pets, in which we are going to go over everything what you need to know about the vaccine calendar for dogs In addition, Barkibu has an application in which you can, among other things, control this vaccination calendar to know when you should administer the next dose in a comfortable and intuitive way.
What is a vaccine?
The vaccine that the vet gives our dog is used to generate immunity against certain diseases. Vaccination consists of the subcutaneous or intranasal inoculation of a biological preparation containing, depending on the disease to be prevented, an attenuated microorganism, a fraction of a virus, dead microbes, microbial toxins, or surface proteins.
When it comes into contact with the dog's immune system, a defensive reaction is produced that generates specific antibodies against the specific disease. Thus, if the dog is exposed to it, her immune system will be able to detect it quickly and will have its own means to combat it. With proper vaccination our dog acquires immunity to a disease without having to suffer and overcome it. However, this strengthening of the immune system is temporary, so regular re-vaccination is necessary. Vaccines will be effective if the dog's he alth is good, it is dewormed and the dog's immune system is sufficiently mature
It is vital that we find out what vaccines are necessary for dogs and how often they should be administered to preserve their he alth, since some of the diseases they prevent are deadly. In addition, there are diseases that are zoonoses, such as rabies, that is, they are transmitted from animals to humans. Vaccination against them is usually mandatory in almost all territories.
As we can see, vaccination is very important both for the he alth of our companion and for our own, regardless of the legal obligation, so from our site we recommend following the instructions of the veterinarian.
At what age should a puppy get its first vaccination?
Puppies are born with an immature immune system, making them more susceptible to serious infectious diseases. Therefore, for their protection, vaccines are essential, but for them to work and generate immunity they have to be given at the right time.
Puppies are born protected by maternal antibodies, which they acquire mainly by ingesting colostrum, which is the first fluid that comes out of the bitch's mammae after giving birth and before milk. These antibodies offer protection during the first weeks of life, but also neutralize the effect of vaccines for up to several months. The result is that there is what is called a window of susceptibility, which means that the puppies will gradually reduce the protection offered by maternal antibodies, but still may not be properly protected by the vaccines.
Assessing the situation of each puppy, it is the veterinarian who has to decide when to administer the first vaccination. The general recommendation is to start the vaccination schedule in puppies at 6-8 weeks of age, revaccinating several times every 3-4 weeks, since more is needed of a dose to achieve maximum protection and also make sure that the vaccine is not interfered with by maternal antibodies.
A new vaccine against distemper and parvovirus suitable for inoculation at four weeks of age has recently been marketed, as it does not is interfered with by maternal antibodies. It is another option that the veterinarian can consider for puppies that are at higher risk. Of course, it must be taken into account that puppies should not be in contact with unknown dogs or walk down the street until they have completed the vaccination schedule, since there is a risk of contagion of serious diseases such as those mentioned.
Price of vaccines for puppies
The price of vaccines for puppies and adults can vary from region to region, but are usually around 20-30 euros per vaccineOne way to save on this and other issues related to the he alth of our dogs, such as veterinary consultations, certain diagnostic tests, etc., is by hiring he alth insurance for dogs like the one offered by Barkibu. The Barkibu Animal Insurance offers extensive coverage, such as the following:
- In any veterinary clinic, the company covers 80% of the expenses.
- Covers up to 3,000 euros per year, which corresponds to the highest spending limit on the market.
- The grace period is the lowest in the market. Thus, the insurance comes into force the day after contracting in case of accident and 14 days later in case of illness.
- They have additional insurance for vaccinations and consultations, through which 100% of the cost of the polyvalent and rabies vaccines is covered, as well as queries. This insurance is effective immediately.
You can insure your dog with Barkibu at any age, but to benefit as soon as possible, it is recommended to do it when he is still a puppy, since it is at this stage that you will have to face the first vaccinations and go to consultation for exams and revisions.
Mandatory vaccinations for dogs and optional vaccinations
The only vaccine required by law in almost all the Spanish autonomous communities is the one for rabiesIn fact, it is only a volunteer in Galicia, Euskadi and Catalonia. From the others, veterinarians distinguish those that they consider essential or essential, recommended for all dogs, since they protect against dangerous and common diseases, and the optional ones, which are only recommended for dogs that are at greater risk of contracting diseases linked to certain lifestyles.
The essential vaccines protect against:
- Canine distemper
- Infectious Hepatitis
- Parvovirus
- Leptospirosis
- Canine Rabies
The optional or non-essential vaccines protect against:
- Canine parainfluenza
- Lyme's desease
- Kennel cough caused by Bordetella
- Babesiosis
- Coronavirus
- Leishmaniosis
Polyvalent vaccine for dogs
As we can see, there are many existing vaccines to immunize dogs. Luckily, you don't have to give them one by one, but there are so-called polyvalent vaccines, which are those that, in a single puncture, offer protection against three, four, five and up to eight pathogens. According to this number, the polyvalent vaccine can be:
- Trivalent: distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis.
- Tetravalent: offers the same protection as the trivalent, adding parvovirus.
- Pentavalent: distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, parvovirus and parainfluenza.
- Hexavalente: it is the same as the pentavalent, but instead of parainfluenza it includes two strains against leptospirosis.
- Octovalent: distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough, parvovirus, parainfluenza, coronavirus and two strains against leptospirosis.
As we have commented previously, both the polyvalent vaccine and the rabies vaccine would be covered if Barkibu's Vaccines and Consultations Insurance is contracted, something to keep in mind if we know that each vaccine has a price.
Vaccination schedule for puppies and adult dogs
Although it is the decision of each veterinarian, below we show you, as an example, the standard schedule of essential vaccines for dogs in Spain, subject to modifications according to the vaccines handled by the professional, as well as the circumstances of each dog:
- At 6-8 weeks: First vaccine that should always offer protection, at a minimum, against distemper and parvovirus.
- At 8-10 weeks: polyvalent vaccine, which acts as a booster for the first vaccine and extends protection against other diseases. It is usually given two weeks after the first, hence the time range.
- From 12 weeks: last primary vaccination dose. It is given four weeks after the second shot.
- After 16 weeks: rabies vaccine.
- Between 6-12 months: first annual revaccination.
- Annuals: Reminder of the rabies vaccine, as it is usually required by law, and re-vaccination against leptospirosis is recommended.
- Every 3 years: Although they are usually repeated once a year, some vaccines maintain immunity for up to three years, such as parvovirus, distemper or hepatitis. For this reason, it is common in many veterinary centers to opt for revaccination every 3 years after a certain age and not annually throughout the life of the animal.
This model schedule can serve as a basic guide for any other country, as essential vaccinations for dogs are common throughout the world.
Mandatory annual vaccinations for dogs
As we can see, the only obligatory annual vaccine for adult dogs is RabiesBecause this is stipulated by law in most places. However, if you live in an area where it is not mandatory, rabies has been totally eradicated and your veterinarian advises against revaccinating this disease every year, we recommend that you follow their instructions.
The frequency of revaccination of the polyvalent vaccine for dogs will also be set by the veterinarian depending on environmental factors, the type of polyvalent vaccine, the age of the dog and its state of he alth, being the usual that from one year or two years on, it stipulates it every three years.
How often to vaccinate a dog?
As we have seen, a single dose of a vaccine does not usually protect the dog from it for life. That is why it is essential to revaccinate. Revaccination is nothing more than the inoculation of booster doses that are repeated several weeks, months or years later, depending on the vaccine and the age of the dog.
As we can see if we review the vaccination schedule for dogs proposed in the previous section, puppies require revaccination every 3-4 weeks until after four months of life. This is mainly due to the persistence of maternal antibodies. That is also why it is recommended to revaccinate them again before one year of age. From one year of age, just repeat the vaccination every year or every three years
On the other hand, if we adopt an adult dog that we don't know if it has been vaccinated or not, the recommendation isadminister essential vaccinations , repeat vaccination after 2-4 weeks and revaccinate one year later Vaccines for adult dogs are the same as for puppies, but, as we can see, the administration schedule changes. This would be the basic protocol for essential vaccines. The non-essential ones require a single dose or two usually separated by 2-4 weeks and, subsequently, a revaccination every 6-12 months.
Vaccine Side Effects in Dogs
Adverse reactions are infrequent and, if they do occur, are usually mild, such as lethargy, low-grade fever, or loss of appetite after vaccinations. Some dogs have a small swelling at the injection site. These effects usually last a short time and do not pose any he alth hazard.
Rarely will occur dangerous allergic reactions, manifested by vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty breathing. These reactions can be fatal if not treated immediately. Fortunately, anaphylactic reactions to dog vaccines are very rare.
Do dogs need to be vaccinated every year?
We have seen that some vaccines need to be administered annually to keep the dog protected, but until what age is a dog vaccinated? If we follow legal criteria, the rabies vaccine will be requested throughout its life, so the dog should be revaccinated every year, regardless of their age, as long as the current legislation of our area of residence or the area to which we want to travel so indicates.
On the other hand, the veterinary criteria speak of an immunological aging from 8-10 years old, which means that the The dog's immune system may not respond adequately to vaccination, which would especially affect vaccines that it had not previously received. In any case, it will be the veterinarian who will decide whether or not to vaccinate and against which diseases, assessing the advantages and disadvantages in each case.
